Method of interfolding paper.



C. E. SWICK.

METHOD OF INTERFOLDING PAPER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2!, I917.

1,32 2%], a Patented Apr. 29, 1919;

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C. E. SWICK.

METHOD OF INTERFOLDING PAPER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-211 I917- Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

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METHOD OF INTERFOLDING PAPER. APPLICATION FILED 0Ec.21.1917. 1 ,8@3 %%]I a Patented Apr. 29, 1919. a SHEETSSHEET 3.

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METHOD OF INTERFOLDING PAPER. APPLICATION FILED 050.21.1917.

Patenfed Apr. 29, 1919.

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METHOD OF INTERFOLDING PAPER'.

APPLICATION FILED 050.21. 1911.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

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METHOD OF INTERFOLDING PAPER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.21, 1917- Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

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\METHOD OF INTERFOLDING PAPER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.21, I917.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

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METHOD OF INTERFOLDING PAPER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21. I917.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

LSQQIML 8 SHEETSSHEET 8- MN I NN UNITED STATES PATENT @FFliUlFt CLYDE E. SWIGK, OF SAN FRI-1N CISCO', CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T HAWLEY JPU'LP AND PAPER COMPANY, A GORPORATION' OF OREGON.

l METHOD OF INTERFOLDING PAPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1912.

' Original application filed October 8, 1915, Serial No. 51,828. Divided and this application filed December 21,

T 0 all whom it may concern: V

Be it known that I, CLYDE E. SwIoK, a

citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the-county of San Francisco,

and in the State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Methods of Interfolding Paper, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a method of interfolding paper of similar material, to produce folded Sheets suitable for use as towels, toilet paper, etc.

The object of my invention. is to provide such a method of i'nterfolding paper adapted to produce packs of folded sheets, said packs being so arranged that when one of the lower sheets of the pack is folded downwardly, it is readily removed from the pack end, and at the same time, withdraws the free end of the next succeeding sheet of paper so that said next succeeding sheet may be readily withdrawn in a similar manner from the lower end of the pack. Such packs of folded sheets are customarily retained in a box having an open slot at its bottom so arranged that the free edge of the lowermost sheet projects through the slot so as to permit the removal of the sheets, one after another,- in the manner above described. The box or means used for retaining the pack of folded sheets for use, however, forms no part of my invention herein.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically mentioned hereinafter.

While the steps carried out in my method of interfolding' paper are capable-of being performed by many different types of mechanism, for purposes of describing such method I have shown the machine disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 54,828, filed October 8, 1915, entitled Paper interfolding machine, of which this applicaeo tion is a division, and in the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine made in accordance with my invention.

. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same taken parallel to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 4:. is a side elevation partly in section of one of the int'erfolding cylinders.

Serial No. 208,285.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of one of the male cutting rolls;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation partly in section of one of the female cutting rolls;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of one of the male cutting rolls taken on line 88 of Fig. 6;

Fig.9 is a similar section of one of the female cutting rolls taken on line 99 of Fig. 7

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail partly in section showing the printing devices;

gig. 11 is an end elevation of the same; an a Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail of a portion of one of theinterfolding cylinders showing the springmeans for operating the grippers.

In. the drawings 1 have shown a paper in- -terfoldingmachine having two lower side frames 1, adapted to be connected together and retained in place by connecting rods 2. Upon the tops of the lower side frames 1, there are supported two upper side frames 3. The upper side frames 3 are arranged to re ceive a main driving shaft 5 having a tightpulley 6, and a loose pulley 7 thereon, adapted to be connected 'with any suitable source of power. Upon the extreme end of this shaft there is located a hand-wheel 8, which may serve, when desired, as a wheel for iinparting a small degree of movement to the main shaft 5 in threading the paper into the machine at the start. This main shaft 5 constitutes the shaft for supporting a female cutting cylinder 9, which cooperates with a male cutting cylinder 10, located adjacent thereof. on the shaft 5 of the female cutting cylinder 9 there is, furthermore, a gear .11, which meshes with a gear 12 located on a shaft 13 supporting the male cutting cylinder 10. In mesh with the gear 11 there is also a gear 14 on a shaft 15 which carries a paper feeding cylinder 16, against which there rests a tension roll 17, located on arms 18, supported upon a shaft- 19 around which there are located springs 20 for pressing the tension rolls 17 against the surface of the feeding roll 16. The tension roll 17 is adapted to receive a paper web Awhich may either be craped or plain. The gear 11, further:

more, meshes with a further gear 21 on a shaft 22, which carries an interfolding cylinder 23, which gear 21 in turn meshes with a gear 24 on a shaft 25 carrying a rotary tumbler cylinder gear 26. The same gear 21 also meshes with a gear 27 on a shaft 28, which shaft has a smaller gear 29, meshing with a gear 30 on a shaft 31, carrying a roll 32 to receive a pair of conveying tapes 33 passing therefrom to a roll 34, which also receives a further pair of conveying tapes 35. -The parts thus far described are located on one side of the machine, the parts on the other side of the machine being constructed in the same manner, except that the last mentioned parts are driven from the main driving shaft 5 already described, and contain, in addition, some further parts to be described hereinafter. These parts are driven in the following manner: The gear 21 meshes with a gear 36 on a shaft 37 carrying another paper interfolding roll 38. This gear 36 meshes in turn with a gear 39 on a shaft 40, carrying a further rotary tumbler cylinder gear 41. The gear 36, furthermore, meshes with a gear 42 on a shaft 43 carrying another female cutting roll 44, said gear 42 in turn meshing with a gear 45 on a shaft 46 carrying a male cutting roll 47. Furthermore, the

same gear 42 Inesheswith a gear 48 on' a shaft 49, carrying a feeding roll 50, and said gear 48 meshes with a gear 51 on a, shaft 52, carrying a printing bed cylinder 53. The gear 51 in turn meshes with a gear 54 on a shaft 55, carrying a printing roll 56, to mark the web of paper at measured intervals, so as to provide paper packs of equal size, which co6perate with an inking roll 57 on a shaft 58 carried in an arm 59 supported upon a rod 60, passing through the upper side frames 3. In contact with the feeding roll 50 there is also a tension roll 61 supported upon arms 62 carried by a shaft 63, having springs 64 to press the roll 61 aigainst the surface of the feeding cylinder 50. A paper web B is fed into this side of the machine over the shaft 63, and then between the rolls 53 and 56. From the above, it will be seen, that the machine is provided on the two sides of the machine with duplicate tension rolls 17 and 61, feeding rolls 16 and 50, male cutting cylinders 10 and 47, female cuttin cylinders 9 and 44, paper int-erfo-lding ro lls' 23 and 38, and rotary tumbler cylinder gears 26 and 41.

The paper web A, being'fed into the machine between the tension rolls 17 and the feeding rolls 16, passes around the feeding rolls 16 and thence around the female cutting roll 9. The female cutting roll 9 is provlded on opposite sides with longitudinal troughs 65, in which there is supported a pair of bars 66 and 67 spaced apart by" sleeves 68 through which pass screw-threaded holes 69 for receiving adjusting bolts 7 0,

having nuts 71 on their ends. The bars 66 and 67 are held in place by means of screws 72, which pass through slots 73 in their ends and into the body of the cutting cylinder 9, the adjustment of the bars '66 and 67 being obtained by first loosening the screws located on opposite sides of the male cutting,

cylinder 10. The brackets or bars 76 are provided Withscrew-threaded openings 77 to receive adjusting screws 78 adapted to fit within recesses 79 on the opposite sides of the cylinder 10, on which the bars 76' are located. Furthermore, these bars or brackets 76 are arranged near their ends with slots 80 to receive screws 81,-which retain the bars 76 in their adjusted positions.

These bars 76 are furthermore, provided adjacent'to the knlves 75 with strippers 81 having extensions 82 resting upon the top of springs 83, located on said bars 76 and the strippers 81 are arranged so that their movement is limited by screws 84 screwthreaded into openings in the sides of the bars 76. On the opposite sides of the knives 75 to the strippers 81 there are located soft rubber paper holding strips '86. It will be noted that these knives 7 5 are provided with notches 87 and serrated edges 88 so that the paper web when it passes between the rolls 9 and 10,.is out, except for the four connecting portions produced by the notches, 87. From this point the web of paper A passes around the female cutting cylinder 9 until it reaches the paper interfolding cylinder 23. WVhen it reaches this point the notches produced in the web A receive one of the folding blades 88. of which there are two located on opposite sides of the cylinder 23. Each of these folding blades 88 is supported upon a bracket 89 located in a trough 90 (Fig. 2) in the face of the cylinder 23, and is adapted to be adjusted by screws 91 which pass into screw-threaded holes on opposite sides of the bracket 89. Screws 93 passing through slots 94 in the ends of the bracket 89 hold the bracket in its adjusted position. The bracket 89 is provided at intervals with slots 95 which correspond in position to the connecting holes produced by the notches 87. It will be noted that the blade 88 is broken at intervals and extends between the several slots 95 and between the two end slots 94, and the ends of the bracket 89, said blade 88 being held in position by a plate 96, said plate 96, blade 88 and the-bracket 89 being provided with'holes 97 to receive screws 98 screwthreaded into the bracket 89. In the slots 95, knife-edged tongues 99 are arranged to and thus entirely severing one sheet of paper runs on a cam' 137 (Fig. 3) on the shaft 22,

- to be 'the free pro ecting' edge of-the lowermost carried around by "from between the from the web of paper to which it was attached and interfolding the other Web therewith. Further rotation of the interfolding rolls 23 and 38 thereaftertremoves the blade 88 and the tongues 99 from the gripping jaws 113 and 115. The folded web of paper carrying the severed sheet in the fold is now cylinders, as for example, the cylinder 23 until it reaches a point on the underside of the cylinder, directly below the center of the cylinder, but a short distance before the centerof the cylinder is reached, at which point the rotary grip-ping jaw 115,, holding the same, is released through the action of thelcam 119. At the same time, stripping arms 132 which normally run in grooves 133 on the cylinder 23, and which are pivotally supported upon a shaft 134 operated by an arm 135, having a roller 136, whichv are'moved outwardly by springs 138 on the shaft 134, thus removing the folded paper jaws 113 and 115, and pressing the same down upon a stationary tumbler 139. The fold of paper which is now supported between the strippers 132 and the tumbler 139 is removed from between the sameb a revolving tumbler bar 1 10 located on a shaft-141, which has a gea'r 14:2 inmesh with the gear 26, so as to rotate the same at the proper speed to remove the folds from between the stripper blades 132 and' the stationary tumbler 139 at the proper intervals. The same action takes place in the same way at the other side of the machine where parts constructed exactly the same are provided for operating stripper blades 132* in connection with a stationary tumbler 139, and cooperating with a rotary tumbler 1 10 located on a shaft v146 having gear 39., meshing with the gear 36. The folded webs of paper are thus fed downwardly in zigzag shape to the upper surface of the conveying tapes 33, sothat said webs are thus continuously fed out of the machine, and on to the conveying tapes 35', at which point the packs of folded sheets containing 150 single sheets or 75 double sheets may be severed by the operator at the points indicated thereon by the marks which have been applied by the printing devices on the machine. .Thesepacks of paper, as suggested above, are now all ready for use, as for example, by insertion in a box containing a slot at its lower surface in such a manner that the free edge of the lowermost sheet of paper projects out through the slot. When a sheet of paper is used, it is merely necessary to pull sheet of paper, which withdraws said sheet one of the interfolding neoaaer pulling out from the slot the free edge of the next sheet of paper contained in the pack. The sheets of paper in the pack may then be successively removed from the pack, until the entire pack of paper sheets has been used. As stated above, these packs of paper sheets may be of plain or craped paper, and they may be used for any desired purpose, but they are especially useful as paper towels.

While I have described my invention above in detail, I wish it to be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirt of my.'invention.

p I claim:

1. A method of interfolding paper which comprises partially severing webs of paper at alternate points along their lengths, and folding the webs at each of the partially severed points.

2. A method of interfolding paper which comprises partially severing webs of paper 7 comprises partially severing webs of paper at alternate points along their lengths, and )so folding the webs that a portion of each web intermediate its partially severed points incloses the partially severed portion of the other web. 1

4. A method of interfolding paper which comprises partially severing webs of paper at alternate points along their lengths, and folding the webs at points midway between the partially severed pointson each web.

5'. A method of interfolding paper which comp-rises partially severing webs of paper at alternate points along their lengths, folding the webs at each of the partially severed points, and completely severing each web at the points which have been previously partially severed.

6-. A method of interfolding paper which comprises partially-severing webs of pa er at alternate points along their lengths, f0 ding the webs at points intermediate the points'on each web which have been partially severed, and completely severing each web at-the points which have been previously partially severed.-

7. A method of interfoldingpaper which comprises partially severing webs of paper at alternate points along their lengths, so folding the webs that a portion of each web intermediate. its partially severed points incloses the partially severed portion of the other web, and completely severing each web at the points which have been previ ou'slypartially severed.

8. ,A method of interfolding paper which comprises partially severing webs of paper at alternate points along their lengths, foldreciprocate, said tongues being carried upon bars 100, to which they are attached by screws 101. The bars 100 .are arranged to move in a radial direction in slots 102 in the cylinder 23, and below the troughs 90, and they are adapted to be retained normally at the bottom of said recesses 102 by springs 103 located in recesses 104 in th bars 100. These tongues 99 are adapted to be moved by lever arms 105 carried upon shafts 106 and adapted to rest beneath the bars 100. Secured on the shafts 106 there are located, furthermore, lever arms 107 (Figs. 2 and 3) having rollers 108, which bear upon the outside of a cam 109 located on the shaft 22. The contour of the cam 109 is such that the knife-edged tongues 99 are flush with the surface of the cylinder at the position of the cylinder 23 where the tongues 99 come adjacent to the cylinder 9, but thereafter, the tongues 99 are moved, outwardly gradually by an inclined portion 110 (Fig. 2) on the cam 109 until they are flush with the outer edge of the blade 88. Thereafter, the cam 109 is provided with a sharp rise 111, so as to extend the tongues 99 above the surface of the blade 88, to sever the connecting portions in the paper web produced by the notches 87, and to completely sever the paper sheet from the body of the paper web being fed into the machine. As previously stated, the two paper interfolding cylinders 23 and 38 are constructed exactly alike, but they are positioned in such a manner that the folding blades 99 on one cylinder register with the gripping means on the other cylinder, the gripping means being positioned 90 away from the blades 88 on each of the paper interfolding cylinders. The gripping means is comprised of stationary gripping jaws 113 held in place on the cylinder by screws 114 and springpressed rotary gripping jaws 115, which are located on shaft 116 to which there is attached an arm 117 (Fig, 2) having a roller 118, which is arranged to run within a cam 119, carried by the shaft 22.

The other web of paper B is fed into the machine and reaches the corresponding pa per interfolding cylinder 38 in the same manner and through the same series of operations as in the case of the paper web A except in the following respects: The paper web B is fed into the machine between the printing rbed cylinder 53 and the printing cylinder 56, the purpose of said cylinders being to print a. mark upon the paper web 18 in such a way as to provide 150 interfolded paper sheets in each package when the pack ages are severed opposite the marks provided by the two cylinders referred to, the mark being so located that it overlies one of the folded edges in the packs of folded sheets so as to be readily seen by the operator, and so as to permit severance of the packs at that point by the operator, as the folded sheets pass out of the machine. The printing of the marks upon the web of paper at the intervals above referred to is accomplished in the following manner. The gear 51 on the shaft 52 is provided with seventyfour teeth, while the gear 54 on the shaft 55 is provided with seventy-five teeth, so that the teeth on gear 54 will gain one tooth at every revolution thereof, and, in other words, a given point on the gear 54 will come opposite to the same point on the gear 51 at each seventy-five revolutions of the gear 51, the marks being designed to measure off a distance toprovide each pack with seventy-five double sheets, that is to say, 150 single sheets. The gear 51 is provided with a stationary plunger 120, to which it is held by a screw 121 and a pin 122.- The gear 54, on the other hand, is provided with a movable plunger 123, having a tooth 124, projecting upwardly opposite one of the recesses between two adjacent teeth in this gear, and this movable plunger 123 has, furthermore, a longitudinal slot 125, which communicates with one end of a lever 126 located on a clamp 127 secured to the shaft 55 in such a manner that the other end of the lever 126 communicates with a printing marker 128 in a slot 129 in the roller 56, which marker 128 is adapted to be normally retracted by a spring 130, and arranged to be removably held in place by a plate 131 secured to the roll 56 by screws 132. In the rotation of the printing cylinder 56, ink is supplied to the marker 128 from the inking cylinder 57, which is a composition roll of the usual kind provided for inking type.

From this point the web of paper passes over the top of the feeding cylinder 50, then between the female and male cutting cyinders 44 and 47, and then finally on to the paper interfolding cylinder 38. The two webs of paper A and B located on the inter-folding cylinders 23 and 38 respectively, are now interfolded by said cylinders owing to the fact that the blades 88 and the knife-edged tongues 99 project the webs of paper into the gripping jaws 113 and 115, which are maintained open by the cam which operates the same at the point where the blade 88 and the knife-edged tongues 99 come opposite said gripping jaws. Immediately after this, the grip-ping jaws 113 and 115 are brought together to fold one web between two partially severed portions and the other web at a partially severed portion by the action of the springs actuating the jaws and owing'to the release of the roller 118 by the cam 119 co operating with the same, and immediately thereafter, the knife-edged tongues 99 make a. sharp movement toward the gripping jaws 113 and 115 by the sudden ris'e 111 in the cam 109, thereby severing the connecting portions of one web left by the notches 87,

ing the webs at, points midway between the partially severed points on each Web, and

completely severing each Web at the points whiich have been previously partially severe 9. A method of interfolding paper which comprises partially severing webs of paper atalternate points along their lengths, folding the Webs at each of the partially severed points, and completely severing each web during the folding operation, at points whtiich have been previously partially severe 10. A method of interfolding paper which comprises partially severing webs of paper at alternate points al-ongtheir lengths, folding the webs at points intermediate the points on each web which have been partially severed, and completely severing each web during the folding operation, at the points which have been previously partially severed.

11. A method of interfolding paper which comprises partially severing websof paper at alternate points along their lengths, so folding the webs that a portion of each web intermediate its partially severed points incloses the partially severed portion of the other web, and completely severing each web during the folding operation, at the points which have been previously partially severed.

12. A method of interfolding paper which comprises partially severing webs of'paper at alternate points along their lengths, folding the webs at points midway between the partially severed points on each web, and completely severing each web during the folding operation, at the points which have been previously partially severed.

13. A method of interfo-lding paper which comprises partially severing webs of paper at alternate points along their lengths, and

completely severing and folding the webs,

partially severed points incloses the partially severed portion of the other web.

16. A method of interfolding paper which comprises partially severing Webs of paper at alternate points along their lengths, and completely severing and folding the webs at points midway between the partially severed points on each web.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

CLYDE E. SWICK.

Witnesses:

F. P. TINDELL, 'IBINDALL BISHOP. 

